[spdrun]

You sound like a libertarian. That’s cool, so I assume you are in favor of legalizing drugs? Me too. If that were to happen, then ironically these contentious border checks probably wouldn’t exist in the first place because drugs are what they are really looking for, not illegals.

I’m a libertarian with liberal leanings on some issues. And yes, many drugs should be legalized, and the people responsible for wasting a trillion $ or so on the war on drugs should be locked up in an institution for the criminally stupid.

I have no problem with BORDER checks at the border. I do have a problem with random checks inside the US. I have an even bigger problem with probing questions about things that are none of the business of the people asking them, and have no relation to whether I’m carrying drugs, have a trunk full of “extreme Southerners,” or am an American citizen.

[spdrun]

Bescause citizens (as shown by my valid passport) have the right to travel in the US without harassment or treatment as suspects. Rights given away freely are rights lost. I really don’t care about making the lives of some Mickey Dee’s rejects in snazzy uniforms easy or pleasant.

[spdrun]

^^^

I’d suspect that this started before 9/11/2001 — I remember a “Border” checkpoint on the 5 near Camp Pendleton when I was there with family in the late 90s.

[spdrun]

What was I supposed to say? “Thanks for invading my privacy, have a great day, sir? Care to do a cavity search as well, sir? I can spread my cheeks for ‘ya.” Is that the Californian way?

Big difference between being checked AT the border, and being singled out for a random stop by some swine within my own country.

[spdrun]

Story to tell — this crap doesn’t only happen in AZ:
I was driving from AZ to CA, and I took the scenic route to San Diego about 2 years ago. I’m pretty much straight-up white, but I was pulled over by Border Pigs twice.

Once on I-8 about 15 min after the CA border. The second time on Rt. 94 at the Dulzurra(?) checkpoint. The swine at the second stop didn’t stop at asking my citizenship, checking ID/passport, and asking if I was carrying anyone else in the car.

They asked me: how long was I planning to be in CA? Where was I staying in CA? What was my business in CA?

None of which I was prepared to answer, since as an American citizen, I have the RIGHT to travel in my own damn country without being harassed and interrogated. So I answered that I was an American citizen traveling in my own country, and that anything else was none of their business. They tired of the game after about 5-10 minutes, checked the trunk and waved me to go. All was recorded by me, of course.

Frankly, thinking back on this treatment *still* enrages me. Granted, I was driving a dusty rental with Zonie plates, but this still disgusted me. Interestingly, I’ve never been harassed in this way since, mostly in vehicles with CA plates. Could this have been a bit of quid-pro-quo – maybe the checkpoint officer’s cousin was harassed by some AZ cops?

[spdrun]

Good for YOU, spdrun! That’s low mileage for that age of car. Would you drive it cross-country?

Without so much as thinking twice.

[spdrun]

Pffffffft. My (only) car is almost 30 years old with 230k miles. Making it either a classic, or a piece of junque, depending on what day it is.

[spdrun]

Speaking for myself, I see ALL real-estate as an investment primarily, rather than a place to live, even if I do happen to live in it. If it doesn’t allow me to leave it for a year or for good, it’s not worth owning.

[spdrun]

Both conditions:
(a) not being underwater
(b) being able to rent at a profit

should be true to make an owner happy. Being stuck with a rental property would also suck painfully.

[spdrun]

Only two things really matter. Do you like your home and can you afford it? The rest is just paper gains/losses that only cause lost sleep if you let them

Sorry, but that’s completely wrong. Being underwater matters a lot, since you can’t sell your home and move, or use the equity to buy another home. Not being able to rent for more than your PITI also matters, since you can’t rent the home and (say) relocate temporarily for a year for work or just travel the world. Meaning that you have a whole lot of people who are “tied to the land.”

Unfortunately, mortgage writedowns mostly don’t allow for rental or resale at the written-down price, so you still end up with a stuck class of people.

Not good. The writedowns, if they happen, should be permanent to allow for mobility.

[spdrun]

I’d rather see Android or Linux tablets used in schools, not iPads, which are tied to what a dying/ill old man thought people should be “ALLOWED” to install on their devices.

[spdrun]

#1 – tried Craigslist? (Seriously, a lot of the ads are legit small investors or people who are traveling for business for a year and want to keep their home.)
#2 – no idea.

[spdrun]

I did hate the drive in and out and the fact that it took at least 45 minutes to run to the grocery store for anything, so i have to disagree with those saying it is more accessible.

There’s a Vons and Trader Joe’s in Pt. Loma, as well as an organic market. We’re talking more like 5 min by car each way, no way it’s 45.

[spdrun]

Most east coasters I have met consider Encinitas/So Carlsbad the Southern California they hoped to find. Its a funky beach town and has as strong a sense of community and identity as any place in SD that I have found.

Despite being an argumentative SoB, I’d agree with this statement 100%.

[spdrun]

^^^

No, the OP said GRADES 4,7,9,11. Making the kidlets 9,12,14, and 16. The last two are for sure old enough to have some fun with a power saw, since shop classes in modern schools seem few and far between.

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